Recover From Breast Reduction Surgery
Reduction mammaplasty, or breast reduction surgery, has a healing process that can take up to several months to complete. Being thoroughly prepared may help you recover from the breast reduction procedure smoothly and as quickly as possible. Read on to learn recover from breast reduction surgery.
Instructions
1. Know that your breasts are going to be dressed with gauze when the surgery is completed. Drainage tubes are also affixed to facilitate the proper removal of the post-surgical fluids (primarily blood) that will collect in your breasts following surgery. An elastic tenser bandage or a special bra may also be used.
2. Understand that while you generally won't need to keep the gauze or drainage tubes attached for more than a week, you will continue to need the surgical bra for weeks or perhaps a month or two afterwards.
3. Expect that your breasts will be bruised, and that some swelling and tenderness will be present as well. For the first several days after the procedure, you will experience post-surgical pain. Your surgeon may prescribe pain medication to counteract this reaction.
4. Steer clear of sexual intercourse for the first week to ten days following the procedure. Because female sexual arousal involves heightened sensitivity of the breasts, becoming sexually aroused may cause your breasts to hurt.
5. Take it easy on physical work and exercise. You will not be feeling up to much physical activity for about two weeks after the surgery, and you should ease back into activity afterwards. Exercise should remain light to moderate throughout the recovery process, and you should expect it to take several weeks before you feel completely normal again.
6. Continue to wear your surgical bra, as directed by your surgeon, throughout the recovery process.
7. Anticipate that your first menstrual cycle following the surgery may also cause pain in your breasts because of the physiological changes your body undergoes during menstruation.
8. Remember that while the procedure will cause permanent scarring, it is generally not visible except upon close inspection after the healing process has been completed. It may take several months to recover from breast reduction surgery, but the overwhelming majority of mammaplasty patients report complete satisfaction once fully healed.
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